Europe Abounds in the Granddaddy of Guides

You want to see a lot of Europe in one trip, but your time and bank account are limited. How do you begin to choose a route that will hit the highlights? One source that can help is “Let’s Go: Europe 2000,” a 973-page guidebook researched by Harvard University students.

Not only does “Let’s Go: Europe 2000”--the book’s 40th edition--offer suggestions for covering key stops, but it includes the nitty-gritty details of what to see in 39 countries. The book begins with one- and two-month multi-country routes (ideal for those traveling on Eurailpasses), then offers three- to four-week regional suggestions, such as the best of Spain and Portugal, Scandinavia, Greece and Turkey, Central Europe, the Black Sea, Baltic Europe, and Britain and Ireland.

To ease the burden of dealing with so much information in the guidebook, there also is a roundup of the top draws for a variety of subjects: must-see museums, culture, the best of the great outdoors, festivals, off the beaten path sites and fun in the sun.

Here, for example, is a basic route you might consider if you have a one-month rail pass: You could start with London for four days; Paris for four days; Barcelona, Spain, two days; Avignon or Aix-en-Provence one day and Nice one day for the France itinerary; Cinque Terre two days, Florence two days, Rome three days and Venice two days for an Italian itinerary; Vienna two days; Prague, Czech Republic, two days; Munich, Germany, two days; Berlin two days; Amsterdam two days; and a day in Brussels.

Another list in this edition is a chronology of historical events and important works of art.

“Let’s Go: Europe 2000” (St. Martin’s Press, $22.99) is the granddaddy of the 48-book “Let’s Go” series.

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Busabout, a hop-on-hop-off coach service that covers more than 60 destinations in Europe, recently asked 10,000 of its passengers (80% were age 20 to 30) to name their favorite cities. The most popular was Prague, followed by Berlin, Rome, Amsterdam and Paris. One other favorite stop is Munich, whose popularity is largely due to the Oktoberfest beer festival.

Busabout has shut down its service for winter but is scheduled to start again in April. The company offers a range of unlimited passes, from 15 days to the Flexi-Passes that offer limited travel days in a given period. Details are available through student travel services on its Internet site, https://www.busabout.com.

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A more obscure destination that keeps popping up on the list of backpacker favorites is Cinque Terre--five fishing villages on Italy’s Ligurian coast--consisting of Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. Accessible by train and linked by walking trails, the Cinque Terre is called “beautiful” by Lonely Planet’s “Europe on a Shoestring.” “Let’s Go: Europe” warns that you should reserve rooms several weeks in advance.

You will find details online and a link for making reservations at the Hostels of Europe (HOE) Internet site, https://www.hostelseurope.com. HOE describes it as “nestled on a hillside surrounded by cultivated vineyards. . . . Enjoy trekking as well as other outdoor activities such as mountain biking, kayaking and swimming.” You can reach the region from Genoa in 90 minutes by train; from Florence via Pisa it’s less than four hours.

Stray Network Travel Experience, another alternative European backpacker transportation service, has moved one of its one-night stopovers from the Tuscan seaside to Riomaggiore in Cinque Terre. Neil Geddes of Stray calls it “one of the coolest coastal towns imaginable on the Italian Riviera, accessible only by foot or rail.”

Stray introduced flexible guided tours by rail in Europe last summer. You can stop where you want and rejoin with another guide as you choose. This service is continuing throughout the winter. You can get more information from student travel services or Stray’s recently updated Internet site, https://www.straytravel.com.

Lucy Izon is a Toronto-based freelance writer. Internet https://www.izon.com.